Flood killed 29, destroyed over 14,000 houses in 2021 ― Kano agency

The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (KASEMA), Dr Saleh Jili, has said that 29 people lost their lives and 56 injured due to flooding and other environmental hazards from January 2021 to date.

He made the disclosure on Thursday while briefing newsmen to commemorate International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Kano.

He also disclosed that 14,244 houses were destroyed across the state in the year under review compared to the year 2020 where 57,362 houses were washed away by flooding.

According to him, out of those who lost their lives, Doguwa local government area had the highest number of deaths as 19 people were affected by flooding on their way back from the market during a heavy storm.

Dr Jili attributed the reduction in the number of disasters to rigorous sensitization campaigns and advocacy visits by KASEMA to the public and relevant stakeholders.

He said: “In an attempt to conform with the international best practices, the federal government developed a National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) in 2005 which requires the establishment of emergency management structures in all the three tiers of government.”

He maintained that KASEMA has been working assiduously in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), state disaster management committee, public education and enlightenment campaigns as well as the recently established local emergency management committees across the 44 local governments of the state to minimize disaster occurrence.

The executive secretary said that the United Nations General Assembly had set aside October 13 as a day for people and communities around the world to celebrate the reduction of their exposure to disasters and raising awareness of the risks they are confronted with.

He charged the general public to maintain safety at all times and desist from any act capable of exposing them to disasters as the situation could lead to economic recession, loss of lives, properties and commended the media for their tireless and relentless efforts in ensuring that members of the public are adequately informed.

He noted that “in 2016 the UN General Assembly launched the ‘Sendai Seven’ campaign to promote each of the seven targets over seven years to mitigate disaster.”

He reaffirmed the state government’s readiness in the provision of infrastructure, security, free and compulsory education, quality healthcare delivery and mapping out policies aimed at upgrading the lives of its citizens.

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